Sofia Talvik w/ Sarah Blacker and Karen Zimmer

Join us for an incredible night of live music at Factory Underground Studio!

Sofia Talvik

Unmistakably Nordic in flavor, Sofia Talvik somehow still conforms to American interpretations of her own original music, a North Sea siren blending sparkle and melancholy. A veteran performer with 9 full length albums as well as numerous EPs, singles and tours behind her.

Growing up in Sweden her music has always had a special tint of her Scandinavian heritage, making her a favorite among music lovers.

Primarily a live artist, Talvik has taken her music across Europe and through 48 U.S. states, riding in her 1989 Winnebago Warrior with her husband at the wheel, digging deep into the American sound and channeling it through her Nordic roots to create a singular brand of Americana. Talvik releases all of her music on Makaki Music, a record label she started early in her career to maintain full control over her own recordings. While her Swedish roots serve as the basis for her songwriting, she often calls upon her many journeys and experiences for inspiration, especially the uniquely American archetype of roaming the endless highway.

Living like a musical nomad, moving from place to place, slowly but steadily building her audience through her heartfelt and personal performances she got to experience the USA in a way few people do. The people she met opened their homes and hearts to her and some of them even made it into her songs.

Talvik has released 9 full length albums and countless singles and eps. She has performed at festivals ranging from Lollapalooza to SXSW. She has opened for Maria McKee and David Duchovny, and has collaborated with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, as well as Tobias Fröberg (Peter Bjorn and John), who produced her 2008 LP Jonestown. She has also released 2 albums in Swedish as part of the New Acoustic duo Hansan with German cellist David Floer.

Sarah Blacker

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Sarah Blacker's forever goal is to "take an audience on a journey" via song, story, and connection. To her, "songs save lives" and have consistently helped her to move from darkness into light, when exploring the ebbs and flows of life.

Also a Psychotherapist and Board-Certified Music Therapist, Blacker isn't shy to explore the soulful depths of human existence within her lyrics, and she regularly offers a cynical sense of irony juxtaposed over hope in her songs.

Blacker is a one-of-a kind performer who is also a prolific songwriter. While she is regularly compared to Joni Mitchell with her stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks vocals and unique harmonic twists, she arrives with a side of Classic rock n'roll.

Her band featuring Aaron Z. Katz of Percy Hill on drums/percussion and harmonies, and Phil Selesnick on keys/bass and vocals, allows for familiar songs to find their way from compelling pop shape into jazzy improvisation, and the listener from inner peace to gut-punch grooves.

Named 'Female Performer of the Year' in the New England Music Awards, a Boston-Music Award nominee and CBS Boston 'Artist to Watch,' Blacker has also supported Jefferson Starship, America, Paula Cole, Richard Thompson, Zack Deputy, and Sara Bareilles to name just a few.

Karen Zimmer

Ridgefield CT-based singer-songwriter Karen Zimmer blends elements of folk, blues and country with a hint of pop to create her unique sound. Growing up with a love of music, she spent most of her younger years studying jazz and playing the clarinet and some piano. When she was 25 years old, she bought a guitar on a whim and fell in love. Her first original song was based on an old poem she had written years earlier.

She is working with producer Ryan Hommel (Amos Lee, Seth Glier, Heather Maloney) in conjunction with the Factory Underground Studio in Norwalk, CT.

“It’s been a long road to release, but I finally got here,” says Karen on her first single (Watch Me Go), which was released spring of 2021. “Somewhere between first heartbreak, working in IT, falling in love, changing jobs, getting married, and having a baby, I managed to get these songs together, and I couldn’t be happier! There’s a lot more to come!”

She loves the earth, gardening and all things food.

Host or Publisher Factory Underground Studio